IT security

Growing MFA use spurs ‘pass-the-cookie’ attacks

The exploitation of stolen session cookies by cyber criminals is once again back on the agenda, thanks to the growing popularity of multifactor authentication tools Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Amazon Ring vulnerability could have been used to spy on users

A now-patched vulnerability in the Amazon Ring mobile app could have been exploited to expose users’ video recordings, but was complex to exploit, according to the researchers who stumbled upon it Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

It takes a breach to force boards to take notice of cyber, says UK government

Too often, it takes a major incident for business leadership to pay attention to cyber issues, according to a government-commissioned study of victims Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ukraine war drives DDoS attack volumes ever higher

There has been a boom in distributed denial-of-service attacks in the first six months of 2022, according to a report, with Russia’s war on Ukraine helping to drive activity Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

GPS tagging of migrants breaches UK data protection law, says Privacy International complaint

Privacy group files complaints with Information Commissioner’s Office and Forensic Science Regulator over Home Office’s GPS monitoring of migrants Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Why you should start your post-quantum encryption migration now

Some say we have the best part of a decade to prepare for the security risks that quantum computing presents to current encryption tech, but PA Consulting experts believe that timeframe is shrinking dramatically Continue Reading

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• Richard Watson-Bruhn and Mark Chang

Cyber security accelerator launches in Greater Manchester

Accelerator will add to Manchester’s growing cyber security ecosystem, which already includes several tech unicorns, arms companies and the offices of GCHQ Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

South Staffs Water is victim of botched Clop attack

South Staffordshire Water moves to reassure customers that their supplies remain safe after its attackers screw up their initial assault Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Why organisations need to harmonise their CIO and CISO roles

Unless properly managed, conflicting responsibilities between the chief information officer and the chief information security officer can cause project delays and budget overruns, says Netskope’s Mike Anderson Continue Reading

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• Peter Ray Allison

Broadband reaches for the stars – the new space race

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at the latest space race, as satellite firms compete to provide high-speed connectivity. Is the datacentre sector hindering house building in the UK? We find out what’s really going on. And we talk to the IT director of the Mercedes Formula One team about how data helps to win races. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Lawyers and journalists sue CIA and Mike Pompeo over Assange surveillance claims

CIA and its former director sued over allegations that they authorised unlawful spying on US citizens when they visited WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London Continue Reading

Report reveals consensus around Computer Misuse Act reform

A study produced by the CyberUp campaign reveals broad alignment among security professionals on questions around the Computer Misuse Act, which it hopes will give confidence to policymakers as they explore its reform Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber criminal forum targets only Russia

The Digital Shadows Photon Research Team has been investigating a pro-Ukraine cyber criminal forum called Dumps, which appears to be one of a kind Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft doles out $13.7m in bug bounties

Microsoft’s Bug Bounty programme has paid a total of $13.7m to more than 300 researchers in almost 50 countries Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How critical infrastructure operators can secure OT data

Cohesity’s CISO discusses the challenges of securing data in operational technology systems and what can be done to mitigate security threats Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

segregation of duties (SoD)

Segregation of duties (SoD) is an internal control designed to prevent error and fraud by ensuring that at least two individuals are responsible for the separate parts of any task. Continue Reading

By

• Rahul Awati

Researcher finds 10 vulnerabilities in Cisco firewalls

At Black Hat USA, Rapid7 researchers report on 10 security issues in popular Cisco firewall products, many of which do not yet have patches Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cisco averts cyber disaster after successful phishing attack

A potentially serious cyber attack on Cisco’s systems that began after a threat actor successfully exploited an employee’s carelessly secured credentials was thwarted without major damage Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Seacom teams up with BT to deliver enterprise communications services across Africa

Deal with leading UK telco intended for customers of Africa’s first broadband submarine cable system to benefit from what is claimed to be world-class portfolio of network services Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

NHS may take a month to recover from supply chain attack

Ransomware attack victim Advanced warns its NHS customers they could be waiting until early September to fully recover their operations Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

GitHub targets vulnerable open source components

There are thousands of vulnerabilities in open source code – GitHub aims to help developers see if their projects are impacted Continue Reading

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• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Microsoft fixes two-year-old MSDT vulnerability in August update

August’s Patch Tuesday drop fixes more than 120 CVEs, including another MSDT RCE zero-day that is being actively exploited. Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

SASE vs SSE – Is SASE One “A” Better?

One of the problems with acronym-defined industry “go to’s” in IT, is that they can easily be misconstrued and/or a myriad variations on a theme emerge from the original – thereby confusing the ... Continue Reading

By

• Steve Broadhead, Broadband Testing

‘Coopetition’ a growing trend among ransomware gangs

Sophos shares data from its new X-Ops unit at Black Hat in Las Vegas, revealing a growing number of ransomware victims being attacked by multiple gangs at the same time Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK to surveil convicted migrants with facial recognition

A Home Office scheme to biometrically scan the faces of convicted migrants who have already carried out punishments has come under fire from privacy and human rights groups for being discriminatory Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Cyber insurance getting harder to obtain

Organisations looking to shore up their security postures face more and more barriers to obtaining cyber insurance Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NHS recovering key services after attack on supplier

Incident at software provider Advanced took out multiple NHS services before the weekend, including the 111 advice service Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Reliance on PSN may have exacerbated cyber attack impact

As it seeks a new supplier to reinvigorate the migration away from the Public Services Network, the Cabinet Office says relying on the legacy network may be putting public sector bodies at heightened risk in cyber attacks Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The dangers of the UK’s illogical war on encryption

The unintended consequences of the Online Safety Bill will have a dramatic effect on our ability to communicate securely, including in Ukraine, where it is needed most Continue Reading

By

• Robin Wilton

UK has biggest card fraud problem in Europe

Social Market Foundation calls on the UK to get a grip on its huge problem with bank card fraud in Europe Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

SBRC to administer NCSC training across Scotland

The Scottish Business Resilience Centre has been awarded a £500,000 contract to extend cyber resilience training across more than 250 at-risk organisations Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Financial services regulator opens digital delivery centre in Leeds

The Financial Conduct Authority is increasing the number of tech experts in its workforce through a new digital delivery centre in Leeds Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Spyware activity particularly impactful in July

After a quiet June, vulnerability exploitation ramped up in July, with intrusions linked to spyware seeing unusually high volumes of activity, according to a report Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Reimagining ethical digital technology

With ever-increasing digitisation leading to greater dependence on a range of digital technologies, enterprises need to urgently look at how they can incorporate ethical and social considerations into the tech they develop Continue Reading

By

• Simon Rogerson

New EU due diligence law needs amending to stop tech sector abuse

European corporate due diligence directive seeking to transform how companies approach their human rights and environmental risk is welcome, but without further changes, it will fail to effectively curb tech firms’ harmful practices, claims international non-profit Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Shift to remote work sees major rise in cyber crime

Survey finds almost four in five cyber security teams agree that recent changes to working practices have adversely affected their organisation’s cyber security, with one-fifth banning the use of public Wi-Fi by policy Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

DrayTek patches SOHO router bug that left thousands exposed

Network hardware supplier has fixed an unauthenticated RCE vulnerability in multiple routers in its Vigor line, after being alerted by Trellix researchers Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK safety tech sector sees strong revenue and employment growth

Safety tech is now one of the fastest-growing sectors in the UK tech industry, with jumps in revenue, investment and employment Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Use recovery level objective to fine-tune BCDR response

Recovery level objective is not a widely used metric, but it has value to business continuity and disaster recovery teams. Learn how it fits in the BCDR timeline here. Continue Reading

By

• Paul Kirvan

Austrian data firm accused of selling malware, conducting cyber attacks

Microsoft has accused DSIRF, an Austrian data services firm, of involvement in a string of cyber attacks Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ex-youth footballers kick-start cyber careers

New programme aims to find fresh careers for former youth footballers in cyber security Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

H0lyGh0st ransomware gang faces challenges, but still a threat

Digital Shadows reports on the recently identified H0lyGh0st ransomware outfit, a new threat actor operating out of North Korea that faces some clear challenges, but is nevertheless still a live threat Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC startups scheme turns focus to operational technology, SME security

NCSC for Startups initiative turns its focus to supporting innovation around securing operational technology and addressing the challenges facing small businesses Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber criminals pivot away from macros as Microsoft changes bite

As Microsoft resumes blocking macros by default in its Office application suite, reversing a temporary reversal, analysis from Proofpoint suggests the action has had a remarkable effect Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Consumers left out of pocket as security costs soar

As the average cost of a security incident reaches an all-time high of nearly $4.5m, an IBM Security study reveals how these costs are being passed on to ordinary people Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

data breach

A data breach is a cyber attack in which sensitive, confidential or otherwise protected data has been accessed or disclosed in an unauthorized fashion. Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Froehlich, West Gate Networks
• Katie Terrell Hanna
• Kevin Ferguson

US doubles bounty on Lazarus cyber crime group to $10m

US State Department doubles a previously announced reward for information on North Korean cyber criminals, including the notorious Lazarus group Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Retail software firm PrestaShop warns users about SQL injection attacks

Open source e-commerce platform PrestaShop warns thousands of small retailers that their customers’ credit card details may be at risk of compromise Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber security training ‘boring’ and largely ignored

Two-thirds of employees don’t bother to pay attention to cyber security training – and the fault does not lie with them Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Don’t rely on insurance alone

Cyber insurance is a useful addition to the cyber protection toolbox. However, it cannot be regarded as a replacement for the controls that should be in operation, says Turnkey Consulting’s Tom Venables Continue Reading

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• Tom Venables, Turnkey Consulting

Secret court asked to quash a decade of MI5 surveillance warrants following ‘systemic breaches’

The culture at MI5 was to ‘prioritise’ missions ‘over everything else’, including compliance with safeguards designed to protect the public, the UK’s most secret court heard yesterday Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin and Tommy Greene

No More Ransom initiative helps 1.5 million people in six years

One and a half million people have now taken advantage of free ransomware decryption tools offered by a joint European project Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Visibility and proactive stance needed to secure OT systems

Critical infrastructure operators need to have more visibility into their IT and operational technology environment, and take a more active stance to fend off sophisticated adversaries, expert says Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Ducktail infostealer targets Facebook Business users

Newly uncovered Ducktail operation targets individuals with access to Facebook Business service and tries to steal their accounts Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Inside Russia’s Ukraine information operations

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we get the inside track on Russia’s disinformation operations attempting to spread propaganda and cyber threats about the invasion of Ukraine. Our new buyer’s guide looks at customer and employee experience management. And we assess 10 top Kubernetes backup suppliers. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Inside Russia’s Ukraine information ops

We speak to Craig Terron of Recorded Future about delving deep inside the Russian disinformation machine’s operations, and how the Kremlin’s strategy is likely to evolve as the Ukraine war drags on. Continue Reading

Home Office ‘unlawfully’ approved MI5 bulk surveillance warrants

MI5 provided ‘false information’ to the Home Office to secure bulk surveillance warrants, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal heard Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin and Tommy Greene

NCSC seeks community input for Cyber Advisor service

The NCSC is proposing to establish a new Cyber Advisor service to train up experts in security guidance, and is inviting interested parties to come forward Continue Reading

Latest Atlassian Confluence vulnerability raises concerns

CVE-2022-26138 is the second major vulnerability disclosure made for Atlassian’s Confluence collaboration platform in recent months Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The Security Interviews: Why you need to protect abandoned digital assets

The war in Ukraine and subsequent boycott of Russia resulted in a swathe of digital infrastructure being abandoned, becoming a potential vulnerability for many organisations, says Cyberpion’s Ran Nahmias Continue Reading

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• Peter Ray Allison

TMT firms among top targets for cyber attacks in Singapore

Organisations in the technology, media and telecoms sector were among the most lucrative targets for malicious actors as their services penetrate almost every aspect of society Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

insider threat

An insider threat is a category of risk posed by those who have access to an organization's physical or digital assets. Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Froehlich, West Gate Networks
• Katie Terrell Hanna
• Brien Posey

LinkedIn most impersonated brand in phishing attacks

Social network LinkedIn, along with Microsoft and DHL, are just some of the brands that are most frequently imitated by cyber criminals conducting phishing attacks Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

GCHQ experts back scanning of encrypted phone messages to fight child abuse

Ian Levy, technical director of the NCSC, and Crispin Robinson, technical director of GCHQ, back client-side scanning software on mobile phones to detect child abuse Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Buy ‘plug-n-play’ malware for the price of a pint of beer

Three-quarters of malwares and almost 90% of exploits retail on the dark web for about £8.40 or less, according to a report Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Russia-linked APTs targeted fleeing Ukrainian civilians

Mandiant and the US authorities have shared details of a phishing campaign that spoofed humanitarian information on evacuation procedures to target Ukrainians fleeing Russian bombardment Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK government introduces data reforms legislation to Parliament

Proposed changes to UK’s data protection regime include new grounds for data processing, significant powers for the secretary of state to direct the regime’s application, and fewer restrictions on law enforcement’s use of data Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

(ISC)² expands entry-level cyber programme after UK success

Flush with success from a UK certification programme, reaching 100k in the UK, (ISC)² now wants to provide free security certification to a million people worldwide Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Transatlantic PET contest open for entries

A joint UK-US innovation prize challenge for developers of privacy-enhancing technologies has opened for entries Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cato aims to bust cyber myths as it extends network protections

Cato Networks is beefing up its platform’s security features with ransomware and data loss protections, and the firm’s security strategy lead Etay Maor is using the occasion – and his unique access to billions of data points from the firm’s network – to explode some cyber myths Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How NEC is transforming its business

While NEC is known for its public safety systems, the company has been expanding into new areas including e-government, financial services and customer experience in Asia-Pacific Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Russia’s Cozy Bear abusing Dropbox, Google Drive to target victims

Russian APT known as Cozy Bear has become adept at quickly incorporating popular cloud storage services into its attack chain to avoid detection Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Tracking the rise of homeworking across the UK

In this week’s Computer Weekly, new figures show that homeworking has more than doubled in the UK due to the pandemic – we look at the regional differences. The pressure is growing on cyber security teams – we analyse the expert advice on how to avoid staff burnout and lost talent. And we examine the important role that tech startups play in the rapid growth of Amazon Web Services. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

US cyber agency CISA to open London office

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has chosen London to host its first office outside America Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

What to look for when taking out a cyber insurance policy

We look at the steps organisations need to take when buying cyber insurance Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

NHS trust ‘deliberately’ deleted up to 90,000 emails before tribunal hearing

A high-profile case brought by NHS whistleblower Chris Day raises questions about the adequacy of information governance practices in NHS hospital trusts Continue Reading

By

• Tommy Greene

Log4Shell on its way to becoming ‘endemic’

US government report concludes that, like Covid, Log4Shell will be with us for a long time to come Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CW APAC: Buyer’s guide to backup and recovery software

The cyber threat landscape leaves firms with little room for error. In this handbook, focused on backup and recovery software in the Asia-Pacific region, Computer Weekly looks at data protection capabilities, how Veeam aims to achieve a market-leading position, Rubrik’s focus on recovery and Kubernetes’s mission to meet the challenges of containerised application environments. Continue Reading

Videogame maker Bandai Namco confirms cyber attack

Bandai Namco, developer of videogames including Pac-Man, Tekken and Dark Souls, has broken days of silence to confirm it has been hit by a cyber attack Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How hostile government APTs target journalists for cyber intrusions

Proofpoint shares data on multiple campaigns of cyber intrusions against journalists originating from threat actors aligned to the governments of China, Iran, North Korea and Turkey Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

SASE - The Importance Of Spelling It Out In Full

First to note that in these financially – and politically – challenging times, it’s good to see serious investment still in the security area of IT. Let’s face it – we need it more than ever. In ... Continue Reading

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• Steve Broadhead, Broadband Testing

Government pauses Online Safety Bill’s progress

The government has paused the Online Safety Bill’s journey towards becoming law, amid timetable pressure Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

ICO wants to ‘empower people through information’

Information Commissioner’s Office sets out commitment to safeguard the information rights of the most vulnerable people in UK society Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Slippery phish wriggles around MFA protections, says Microsoft

Microsoft’s threat researchers share details of a phishing campaign that hit 10,000 organisations, against which standard multifactor authentication provides little defence Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Digital break-up kit to help women get out of bad relationships safely

Domestic abuse charity Refuge teams up with Avast to equip women with the knowledge to effectively and safely end a relationship digitally Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

July Patch Tuesday brings more than 80 fixes, one zero-day

While some admins can put their feet up and let Windows Autopatch do the hard work of updating their Microsoft estates, for the rest of us, the Patch Tuesday bandwagon keeps on keeping on Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

ICO calls for review into government use of private email and WhatsApp messages

Information Commissioner’s Office reprimands Department of Health and Social Care after ministers and officials conducted government business on their own email accounts and messaging apps Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Brits say social media must do more to block harmful content

UK citizens want social media companies to do more to prevent harmful content appearing on their platforms Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

MaliBot Android malware spreading fast, says Check Point

The MaliBot malware is becoming a persistent and widespread problem, and Android users should be on their guard, says Check Point Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ransomware and backup: Overcoming the challenges

Ransomware attacks that exfiltrate data don’t nullify the value of backups to restore from, but the challenges – such as not restoring corrupted data – require careful planning Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

Microsoft Windows Autopatch now generally available

Microsoft customers with Windows Enterprise E3 and E5 licences can now take full advantage of its new automated patching service Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UKtech50 2022: The most influential people in UK technology

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we reveal the 50 most influential people in UK IT for 2022, and talk to the winner of the 12th annual UKtech50, National Cyber Security Centre CEO Lindy Cameron. Also, we take an in-depth look at the crisis in chip supply and what’s needed to solve it. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Singapore doubles down on OT security

The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore will fund 80 scholarships to groom a talent pool of operational technology security experts, among other efforts to bolster the security of critical infrastructure in the city-state Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

NCSC CEO: Why we should run towards crises to elevate cyber security

 Continue Reading

Microsoft VBA macro block will return

Microsoft provides more details about its sudden decision to rollback a landmark security policy, and reassures users it is a temporary measure Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

SMEs lagging on multifactor authentication

Only 46% of small business owners say they have implemented multifactor authentication, and just 13% mandate its use, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber insurance: An effective use of your scant security budget?

The ISF’s Paul Watts asks if cyber insurance is a must-have item, an expensive luxury, or the emperor’s new clothes Continue Reading

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• Paul Watts, Information Security Forum

Cyber insurance: Tips for keeping the right level of cover

Transferring risk to an insurer doesn’t mean you are risk-free – so what is not included in your cyber insurance cover? Continue Reading

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• Paul Furtado and Jim Mello

Stop telling clients to pay ransomware gangs, solicitors told

The NCSC and the ICO are calling on solicitors to help tackle the rising number of ransomware payments being made, and to stop giving erroneous advice to victims Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Sweden and GDPR – four years on

Swedish data protection coordinator talks to Computer Weekly four years into the General Data Protection Regulation Continue Reading

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• Pat Brans, Pat Brans Associates/Grenoble Ecole de Management